Seventeen salt miners who had been trapped in an elevator shaft at an upstate New York mine have been rescued, officials said on 7 January and the mines owner said it would inspect the property to see what had caused the incident.Jan 7, 2016

Syrian state media has said two towns near Idlib, Kefraya and Fua, have been besieged by anti-government fighters for two years. One protester accused the Syrian government of violating the terms of the agreement.Jan 7, 2016

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on 7 January, discussions on reforming the European Union are going well and he is confident that issues including competitiveness and migration can be dealt with successfully.Jan 7, 2016